Description: If you LOVE CLASSIC TV......and are a great fan of JOAN RIVERS... here's a really groovy DVD BOX SET featuring...... THAT SHOW starring JOAN RIVERS What do you get when you put Johnny Carson and the owner of a nudist camp on the same stage? Comedic gold spun by the Queen of Comedy herself, Joan Rivers. Now you can watch her and tons of amazing guest stars in 29 of the funniest episodes from That Show's first season in 1968- 69 on 4 DVDs. Long before Fashion Police and more than two decades before The Joan Rivers Show of the early 90s, Joan Rivers hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show on WNBC-TV of New York City called That Show. The half-hour show included a monologue by Joan before featuring a guest celebrity and an expert tackling a particular subject with hilarious results. Other guests include Steve Lawrence, Florence Henderson, Ed Sullivan, Rita Moreno and many more! When confronted with this 4 DVD Box set, my first thought was: "Joan Rivers had a talk show in the '60's?" But it's true. A lifetime before the botoxed one slipped into reality shows, jewelry pitches and catty fashion commentary with her joined-at-the-hip daughter Melissa, Joan Rivers and husband Edgar Rosenberg tried to position the youngish comedienne and mother as a daytime talk show host with That Show, which ran in syndication for a single year in 1968-69. Given the fact that Rivers' humor has gotten increasingly toxic and bitter over the years (as evidenced in the 2010 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work), it's interesting to see her in this setting as a manic yet friendly Nice Jewish Lady dishing on child rearing, catering, physical fitness and, of course, gossip. Recorded in 1968-69, these 29 episodes on Synergy Entertainment's That Show with Joan Rivers give a good indication of what worked and didn't work with this lively little program. Each show was roughly structured in three parts, tied into a subject seemingly ripped from the pages of the latest issue of McCall's or Ladies Home Journal. Opening each show is a spot lit Joan riffing on that day's topic, milling about and playing off the audience. She's completely in her element in these segments, brimming with energy and a sense of humor that was comparatively much more homey and self-deprecating ("I have a weird-shaped head; I need to wear orthopedic wigs"). The bulk of these episodes consist of Joan interviewing people on a tiny set, decorated in a way that might be described as Louis XIV on a budget. Having established the day's topic in the opening monologue, she then introduces an expert on the subject along with a celebrity guest to dish and discuss. Granted, some of the celebrity/subject pairings are random (what would Phyllis Newman know about hypnosis, anyhow?), but they do provoke some memorable interactions. It's never so evident as in the first episode (topic: nudism), in which Johnny Carson seems completely gobsmacked by the pleasant middle-aged lady who runs a nudist colony sharing the stage. As for Joan's interviewing style, she ingratiating and thankfully doesn't turn the conversation into a personal joke-fest - not too often, anyway (also notable is the fact that she doesn't go all Kathie Lee on us, bringing up her kid at every turn - baby Melissa barely comes up at all). She has a genuine interest in the topics covered, something that is most well-demonstrated in the final segments where she ventures into the audience to facilitate questions for the guests (it must be a sign of the still-polite 1960's that most of the audience queries are directed towards the experts, and not the celebrities). If anything, this set is a neat little capsule of the 1960's. The topics covered tend to delve into matters ephemeral and dated, as evidenced by one show's efforts to answer the burning question, "Should a woman decorate to please herself, or to please a man?" That's part of the appeal, however. It's also a good opportunity to see celebs being shockingly casual about certain things, such as Jerry Lewis matter-of-factly speaking about spanking as an essential component of child rearing. Other highlights include a lithe 'n perky Florence Henderson demonstrating her post-pregnancy exercise regime and Nancy Walker's first order of business - lighting up a cigarette! The experts on hand tend to be just as interesting as their more famous counterparts, strangely enough. This was an era in which people didn't have to showboat or go into smarmy salesperson mode to look smart. I have watched these episodes over and over again....a great time capsule of a TV Show! It was fabulous seeing Johnny Carson as a guest on someone else's show for change. Great 60's show, love all of the generational topics and guests....and the whole atmosphere is of a time long gone. LOVE this set!! Over 11 hours of the Queen of Comedy s first TV show 29 episodes featuring the best guest stars and funniest topics Watch Joan Rivers hone her comedy skills in hilarious monologues Guests and experts take on subjects, such as Teenagers Today, Wallpaper, and Nudists Colonies. HAPPY VIEWING and RE-LIVING THE 60's!!!!!! DVD BOX SET is BRAND NEW....NEVER OPENED.....STILL SEALED!!!!!! Will be shipped VERY SECURELY!!!!! PAYMENT THRU PAYPAL THANKS FOR LOOKING!!!! ....Can we talk??? Ohhhh grow up!!!
Price: 14.95 USD
Location: Lake Stevens, Washington
End Time: 2025-01-08T17:55:08.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.95 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
DVD Edition Year: June 23, 2015
Video Format: NTSC
Case Type: Tall/DVD Case
Former Rental: No
Rating: NR
Director: Edgar Rosenberg
Sub-Genre: Comedy, Vintage, Classic, Classic Television
Leading Role: Joan Rivers
Studio: Synergy Entertainment
Modified Item: No
Edition: Box Set, Deluxe Edition
Type: TV Series
Format: DVD
Region Code: DVD: 1 (US, Canada...)
Release Year: 1968-69
Language: English
Actor: Joan Rivers
Features: Vintage, Classic, Classic TV
Genre: Talk Show
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Movie/TV Title: THAT SHOW starring JOAN RIVERS